The HINDUSTAN TIMES 13 April 2022
The above news report is on Janet Yellen, US Treasury Secretary , calling India a “fence sitter” taking advantage of the Ukraine War as a self serving opportunity to achieve its own foreign policy goals.
The 2+2 Meeting in Washington held a few days ago this week between Foreign and Defence Ministers of USA and India is certainly not going to stop the American bullying of India to fall in line with the former’s policy towards Russia … in fact, after India Foreign Minister Jaishankar’s heroics in the meeting, the bullying is only going to get worse from here onward in US India relations .
The statement of Janet Yellen, the Treasury Secretary’s barely concealed threat to India, is to warn India’s FM Nirmala Sitharaman to brace for “consequences” if India remains intransigent and defiant in going down an independent path .
Yellen’s statement is in fact so ominous and menacing in tone — or undertone— that it almost sounds like the chillingly terrifying line of Don Corleone , the Mafia warlord in the old Hollywood blockbuster “The Godfather” :
Michael Corleone: Well, when Johnny was first starting out, he was signed to a personal services contract with this big-band leader. And as his career got better and better, he wanted to get out of it. But the band leader wouldn’t let him. Now, Johnny is my father’s godson. So my father went to see this bandleader and offered him $10,000 to let Johnny go, but the bandleader said no. So the next day, my father went back, only this time with Luca Brasi. Within an hour, he had a signed release for a certified check of $1000.
Kay Adams: How did he do that?
Michael Corleone: My father made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Kay Adams: What was that?
Michael Corleone: Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract……. Thats a true story.
Well …Don’t we all in India now know who Janet Yellen is saying she really is ? … Luca Brasi, of course … !
And don’t we also know who she is referring to as “fence sitter” and warning him of consequences … ?! INDIA of course who like the character in the movie is behaving like the unhelpful and stubborn “bandleader”…!
And finally don’t we all also not know who is “Johnny” , the godson to Biden the Don Corleone?
Why, it’s Zelensky of course!!
Sudarshan Madabushi
Thanks a lot.
Very good analysis of the mindset of the self-styled “super cop”of the world.USA is unable to digest the fact that that a so-called third world country-India,can challenge them and refuse to toe their line.They forget that India today has a strong leader im Mr.Modi and an eqully strong Minister of External Affairs in Mr.Jaishankar.The bullying tactics of USA will not work with India.